Refining – isn’t that what nurseries normally do? Yes, but even a die-hard hobby gardener can do that. Refining the hazelnut is not difficult. But what are the advantages of this procedure and how best to do it?
Why and when should you refine a hazelnut?
Refining a hazelnut involves connecting a scion to a base. Advantages include higher fruit quality, earlier harvest, less cane rash and growth as a tree instead of a bush. The best time for grafting is from December to March.
Benefits of refining hazelnuts
Anyone who has grown hazelnuts from seeds will probably have recognized that the new plant is not genetically identical to the mother plant. The sown hazelnut has other properties. Perhaps the nuts are much smaller and less tasty or the plant grown is more susceptible to disease.
Refining the hazelnut, for example refining the hazel onto the tree hazel, prevents this. It has the following advantages, among others:
- no cane rashes
- Hazelnut tree instead of a hazelnut bush
- Fruit set in the first year after planting (otherwise wait at least three years)
- Nuts have the same quality as those of the mother plant
A recommended method: copulation
What do you need to refine the hazelnut? On the one hand there is space and steady hands and on the other hand tools and materials such as a suitable base, a scion, tree wax (€11.00 on Amazon), raffia and a sharp knife.
It is best to start refining between December and March. Spring is considered the ideal season for refining hazelnuts. However, make sure that temperatures do not fall below -5°C.
And so it continues step by step:
- cut diagonally through scion and base
- The base and scion should have the same diameter to fit well together
- Bark layers should overlap
- Connect with raffia base and scions and spread with tree wax
- with the onset of the vegetation phase: regularly remove new shoots from the base - done!
Tips & Tricks
Before you plant the hazelnut graft, you should think carefully about your choice of location. Once planted, it is difficult to remove a hazelnut bush.
